INDIA, the new player on the world stage

by Carole Herdegen

all in a day's play. Image courtesy: Ann Raets

From the time I was a little girl, I remember having my nose in travel books or reading the popular travel magazines of the day. During those early years, I never ventured further with my parents from our home in Chicago to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.  Never did I think I would marry a man whose career would take us outside the United States for 18 years.   As a couple and as a family, we travelled far and wide, from Europe to Egypt to Iran.  When we returned to the States in the 80’s, I still found myself passionately in need of discovering more of the world, even if it meant as a solo traveler. Fortunately, my husband not only had the confidence in my ability to travel on my own, but he endorsed my desire to do so.  The first trip on my own was to India which turned out to be the beginning of a twenty five year fascination with the country and its culture.  

Over the years, I have watched in amazement the growing of a country.  In fact, its growth, by leaps and bounds has taken it to where it is now perched, on the precipice of becoming one of the top economies of the world.  With a population of 1.21 billion people, it ranks second in the world's population, which means 1 out of 6 people live in India.   Can you imagine?  India has more than two thousand ethnic groups, a multitude of languages and representation of virtually every major religion.  India is often referred to as the largest democracy in the world. 

among the mountains of Zanskar

Dr. Samuel Johnson, the 18th century English author, once said: “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life”.  I personally feel the same about India.  There is so very, very much to see along with a multitude of surprises on one’s journey.   From the Himalayas in the north to the tea and spice plantations of the south, from the tribal areas of Gujarat in the west to the coral islands of the Andaman in the southeast and, let’s not forget the Tiger Reserves found throughout Central India, there are ample reasons for wanting to return again and again.       

When flying to India, one enters either through the amazing metropolises of Mumbai or Delhi. Both are full of the spirit of youth because over 50% of India’s population is under 25 years.

just another day in Delhi

Delhi is really a tale of two cities.  There is the capital, New Delhi, a planned city with wide tree-lined boulevards and the stately homes of embassies from around the world.  By contrast, there is Old Delhi, the city born as the Mogul capital in 1638.

On a recent trip, I took a ride by rickshaw in the famous Chandni Chowk market in Old Delhi.  In this web of bazaars, one can make some interesting discoveries such as I did when I found the Rikhi Ram Musical Instrument store where the Beatles bought their Sitar, Tanpura, Sarod and Tabla in 1966.  It was fun looking at the old photos on the walls of the shop.

Even though Delhi has populations of nearly 16 million, large parts of the city are beautified by gardens, parks, and woodlands. Getting around this big city with its enormous population is the task for the excellent Delhi Metro, the underground transportation system which had its world premiere at the 2010 Commonwealth Games last October. 

Raj Ghat

Another rewarding experience for me was when I visited the final resting place of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation.  I have often returned and have come away with a feeling of reverence not only for the man but for the early history of his country and the hard times both went through to win India’s independence.

Crossing over the country to the west, Mumbai is India’s largest city with a population of 21 million.  Just outside the Churchgate Railway Station, I discovered it to be a most interesting place in the morning.  Young men called, “Dabbawalas”, or lunchbox carriers are dressed in white kurtas and Nehru caps carry 200,000 lunch boxes to the city’s multitude of offices.  Millions of Mumbai office workers leave their homes very early in the morning traveling by train in order to be at their desks by 8 o’clock.  The Dabbawalas show up two hours later at the office workers homes, pick up boxes of home cooked food, and then hop on trains to deliver these lunch boxes to the office workers at their desks.  Sounds simple enough; however, most amazing logistic is each lunch box has its own code number. Mistakes are seldom made.  No technology is involved.  The Dabbawalas memorize the codes and run their boxes through the streets of Mumbai making sure every worker gets his lunch on time.  Later, the empty boxes are collected and returned to the homes of the office workers.  It costs very little to participate in this service. As India’s middle classes continues to increase and better standards of living are acquired, I hope there will still be time and place to preserve the wonderful Dabbawalas of Mumbai. 

Throughout India, fairs and festivals are celebrated throughout the year.  There are festivals for each and every season, or to celebrate great historical figures and events while other festivities express devotion to not only the deities of different religions but also to wind, rain, and fire.   An unusual festival called Teej, is the festival of the monsoon.  When the temperature reaches the 90’s to 100’s Fahrenheit for week after week, the welcome relieve of the monsoons brings everyone outdoors to run and splash in the rains.

of Friday releases

If you are a fan of cinema, you most certainly have heard of Bollywood, the Indian, Hindi-language film industry equivalent to our Hollywood.  It is interesting to note that Bollywood, founded in 1899, is older than Hollywood by 11 years.

I became interested in Indian movies after watching “Monsoon Wedding” (2001) and “Bride and Prejudice” (2004).  Both movies are about Indian weddings featuring modern music and dancing.  In 2005 after some research, I visited the film studios of AVM in Chennai to learn how Indian movies are produced. 
In comparative terms, Bollywood produces approximately 1000 movies per year which are watched by a worldwide audience of 3 billion people compared to Hollywood’s 500 movies annually watched by 2.6 billion viewers. 
India offers its visitors such a wide variety and multitude of interests.  I know it will never cease to excite me.     

The real meaning of Nirvana - culinary traditions of India

A simple meal

India cannot be defined by one particular cuisine. Influenced by geographical diversity, the cuisine is quite diverse as well. Most of the Indian cuisine has been influenced by the availability of water. As a result, in the coastal areas, you would find the presence of quite a few light soups and rice recipes. On the other hand, in the deserts, due to the unavailability of water and thus the shortage of fresh  vegetables, the cuisine is predominantly dry and dotted by a variety of pickles and preserves. A journey on these lines provides for an incredible experience.

Considering the diversity of Indian cuisines, it is quite difficult to describe all aspects of the same. This article attempts to describe some of the highlights and the most famous of Indian cuisine. We explore the roots, the spices used and the difference between the cuisines. For the last 30 years, INDEBO (www.indebo.com) has been instrumental in providing such experiences to travellers regularily.

Breads from an indigenous bakery

Through this article we would explore some of the biggest celebrities of the North (Punjabi), the West (Gujarati cuisine), the South (cuisine from the backwaters of Kerala) and the East (fish curries and sweets from West Bengal). This article does intend to stir up the appetite as well.

Punjabi food: Possibly the most famous Punjabi contribution to Indian food is the tandoori style of cooking. This method uses large earthen ovens that are heated to high temperatures using coal fires. Once hot, many types of meat, bread, or vegetable dishes may be cooked inside. This method gives food a distinctive flavour and seals in the aroma of the item.

Many people in Punjab eat meat. Thus, the state has developed many chicken and lamb delicacies that are coated in spicy onion and mustard or sweet cream sauces. This is thought to be an influence of the Mughals during their time in India. Milk products such as yoghurt lassis and fresh cheeses are also an important part of Punjabi diet, as are pulses and wheat.

Gujarati food: Gujarati food is mainly vegetarian. The staple grain of the area is millet, with wheat as a secondary grain. Other products include peanuts, sesame, and many types of vegetables. Pulses are very important in this region as a source of protein, whether as a side dish or made into soups called “Dal”, as the majority of the population is vegetarian.

A Gujarati thali

Gujarati food is usually served as a “thali” meal, meaning that all items are served once on a large plate. A traditional thali includes two vegetables cooked with spices, dal, a flatbread (roti), rice and a sweet. There are also simple meals of mild rice and lentils known as “khichdi”, served with a lightly spiced buttermilk or yoghurt soup called “kadhi”.

Malayali food: In Kerala, food is traditionally served on a large banana leaf. Even today, this method is prevalent for feasts. The staple food of Southern India is rice. Different preparations of the grain may even be eaten for breakfast. The other staple is coconut. Coconut is made into chutney, served as a refreshing desert, and incorporated into vegetable or fish dishes as a flavour. This often gives the food a surprising taste that is a mix of sweet and spicy.

Bengali food: Bengal is known for its fish and its sweets. Located on the Eastern coast of India, fish has long been a staple of Bengali diet. It may be sauted in yoghurt or marinated in Bengal's famous spice mixture. This region uses 5 basic spices, known collectively as “pachphoron”. They are anseed, cumin seeds, black cumin seeds, mustard and fenugreek. Mustart plays a huge role in Bengali food. Mustard is mashed and used as a gravy for a special type of fish called Hilsa. Mustard oil is also used extensively in Bengali food.

Fairs & Festivals of India

Monks at the Thiksey Tsechu in Ladakh

India is indeed a land of Festivals. Indian festivals boast of India's rich cultural and traditional background. There are end number of festivals which are celebrated in this amazing land. The festivals in India may differ in their celebration and rituals but the commonality in all the celebrations is that it celebrates humanity. They represent the diversity of culture on one hand and unity of India on another hand.

Some of the common rituals, which are followed in most of the festivals, are processions in the streets, decoration of homes and sacred places and traditional and folk song and dance performances. Most religious festivals have elaborate prayers, traditions, customs and rituals attached to them.

Color generally seen at a fair

India is known as a land of many religions and innumerable languages, it might well be described as a land of many festivals as well. There is perhaps not a single day in the Indian calendar when a festival or a fair is not celebrated. Bright colors, brightly lit religious places, decorated houses, sweets and traditional dresses and dances and unwavering enthusiasm are the characteristics of all the festival holidays in India. If someone wants to see the deep roots of the culture, belief, life style, living, food, art, traditions of India, the fair and festivals are the window to view the true colour of India. There are festivals for all occasions which include color festivals, festivals to celebrate change of seasons, festivals connected with the harvesting or sowing of crops etc. Even the birthdays of divine beings are celebrated by connecting them with particular festivals. Indian festivals are celebrated according to the solar and lunar calendars. Consequently, dates & months may vary accordingly.

A Few important festivals of India

Mopin (Arunachal Pradesh)
Mopin is the most important festival of the Gallong community of the Adi Tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. Mopin across Arunachal Pradesh is celebrated for five days in the month of April. It is celebrated prior to the sowing of the paddy.

People worship the deity of welfare in order to get rid of natural calamities, evil spirits and for good harvest, health and prosperity. During this festival, smearing rice powder on each other’s faces marks the beginning of the festival. One other feature of the Mopin festival is a dance known as Popir which is performed in a very elegant manner.

Bihu (Assam)

A Bihu dancer

It is the most important festival of Assam. It is celebrated with great happiness and enthusiasm and is celebrated by all Assamese irresepective of caste, creed, religion, faith and belief.

The Assamese witness three Bihu festivals in a year. Each Bihu coincides with a distinctive phase in the farming calendar. For example, Rongali Bihu marks the beginning of sowing of seeds, the Kati Bihu marks the completion of sowing and transplantation of the saplings and finally Magh Bihu marks the advent of the harvest period. The three are connected with the spring, winter and autumn seasons respectively.

Bali Yatra (Odisha)
To commemorate the glorious past of commercial voyages to the islands of Bali, Java and Sumatra by Oriya traders, a big fair called ‘Bali Yatra’ is held on Mahanadi river bank at Cuttack on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Kartik.

Kartik Purnima was considered the most auspicious day by traders to venture on a journey to distant lands. To mark the occasion; small boats made of cork, coloured paper and banana tree barks are set afloat on the Mahandi river. The Bali Yatra bears testimony to the rich maritime legacy of ancient Orissa. It is also known as Boita Bandana Utsav, or the "festival of boats".

Man and his best friend at the Pushkar festival

Pushkar (Rajasthan)
Held each November at the time of of Karthik Poornima (full moon), the Pushkar Camel Fair is one of the largest cattle fairs in India. During the fair, millions from rural Rajasthan flock to Pushkar, along with camel and cattle for several days of livestock trading, horse dealing, pilgrimage and religious festivities.

The camel and cattle trading is at its peak during the first half of festival period. During the latter half, religious activities dominate the scenario. It is an occasion for Hindu pilgrims to converge for a holy dip in the sacred Pushkar Lake to "wash away the sins of a lifetime" and pay obeisance at the ONLY Brahma temple in the world.

Sonepur (Bihar)
The Sonepur cattle fair or Sonepur Mela is held on Kathik Poornima (the full moon day) in the month of November in Sonepur, Bihar, on the confluence of river ganges and Gandak. This fair attracts visitors from all over Asia. It is the biggest cattle fair of Asia and goes on for around one month.

Horses at Sonepur

It is quite an exciting fair as nearly all the animals of different breeds are bought here for sale. Persian Horses, Camels, Guinea Pigs, Dogs, Bears, Cats, Rabbits, Buffaloes, Donkeys, Ponies, Sheep etc are specially brought here for sale and buyers from across the globe come to buy the best of breeds from here. A major attraction is the sight of numerous beautifully decorated Elephants lined up for sale.

Kullu Dussehra (Himachal Pradesh)
Dussehra, symbolising the victory of Rama over Ravana, is celebrated all over India but the Dussehra of Kullu has got its own significance. When Dussehra celebrations come to an end in the rest of the country, they begin in Kullu. Over 600 local deities are brought to pay homage to Lord Raghunath. This is a time when the valley is at its colorful best.

The celebrations continue for a week every year. Dussehra in Kullu commences on the tenth day of the rising moon (the ‘Vijay Dashami’ day) and continues for seven days. On the first day the idol of Raghunathji in a gaily attired chariot and attended by village gods mounted in colourful palanquins, is pulled from its fixed place in the Dhalpur Maidan (open ground) to another spot across the Maidan by big ropes. The pulling of ropes is regarded sacred by the local people. This forms a huge procession. All the gods in the valley visit Kullu during Dussehra in order to pay their homage to Raghunathji.

Elephants at Thrissur Pooram

Thrissur Pooram (Kerala)
Thrissur Pooram, which is known as the "Pooram of all Poorams" or "Festival of all Festivals" is the most awaiting cultural extravaganza in North Kerala.

The festival is celebrated every year during the month of April/May. The sprawling Thekkinkadu maidan located at the heart of the city and encircling the famous Vadakkumnathan Temple is the venue of almost all major events of the Pooram festivals.

The major attraction of this festival is the Elephant procession, which witnesses the participation of elephants from various temples of Kerala. Apart from this splendid procession, other attractions of Thrissur Pooram festival include a spectacular display of colorful fireworks, parasol exchanges, display of pyro-techniques and drup concerts.

Hemis Tsechu ( Ladakh)
The Hemis Tsechu is the largest and most popular monastic festival of ladakh. It is a two day annual festival which is celebrated in the courtyard of hemis monastery. It is celebrated on the 10th day of the Tibetan lunar month. The main purpose of this festival is to commemorate the birth anniversary of Saint Padmasambhava, the patron saint of Tibetan Buddhism and the one who brought Buddhism from India to Tibet. During these two days festivals, the resident Lamas perform sacred masked dances in the courtyard of the Monastery.